Verbena plant named &#39;balazreve&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Balazreve’ characterized by its dark red-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, good basal branching character, and mounding and trailing growth habit.

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Verbena hybrida

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Balazreve’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct Verbena plantbotanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Balazreve’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through a controlledbreeding program during December 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. Theobjective of the breeding program was the development of Verbenacultivars with a semi-trailing mounded habit, continuous flowering,excellent basal branching and small, dark green-colored foliage, andattractive flower coloration.

The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar was the proprietary Verbenabreeding selection BFP-0970, not patented, which exhibits asemi-trailing growth habit, bright red-colored flowers, and darkgreen-colored foliage. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar wasthe proprietary Verbena breeding selection BFP-1476, not patented, whichexhibits a semi-trailing growth habit, red-colored flowers with “eye”,and dark green-colored foliage.

One plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination wasdiscovered and selected by the inventor in April 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings sinceApril 2002, has demonstrated that the characteristics of the newcultivar, as herein described, reproduce true to type and are firmlyfixed and retained through successive generations of such asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Balazreve’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Verbena plant:

1. Dark red-colored flowers.

2. Lobed, dark green-colored foliage.

3. Good basal branching character.

4. Mounding and trailing growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in flower color and from plants of the male parent primarilyin flower color.

Plants of the new cultivar can be distinguished from plants of itssibling ‘Balazwilro’, disclosed in a concurrent patent application, inflower color.

Plants of the new cultivar are most similar to the cultivar ‘SUNVP-SU’,U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,311. However, in side-by-side comparisons, plantsof the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘SUNVP-SU’ in the followingcharacteristics:

1. The leaves of the new cultivar are a different shape than the leavesof ‘SUNVP-SU’.

2. The flowers of the new cultivar are larger than the flowers of‘SUNVP-SU’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ from color values cited in the detailed description,which more accurately describes the colors of ‘Balazreve’. The plantswere grown in 10 cm pots for 13 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Balazreve’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual inflorescence andsingle flower of ‘Balazreve’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is theR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2001 edition, except where color terms of ordinary significance areused. The color values were determined on Sep. 24, 2004. The readingswere taken between 11:00 and 11:30 a.m. under natural light conditions.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom cuttings taken from stock plants and grown in a doublepolycarbonate-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. Plants were grown at West Chicago, Ill. in10 cm pots for 13 weeks while utilizing a soil-less growth medium.Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70-80° F.(21-26° C.) during the day and approximately 62-65° F. (17-18° C.)during the night. Greenhouse light levels were maintained atapproximately 5,000-8,000 footcandles during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Balazreve.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female Parent.—Proprietary breeding selection BFP-0970.        -   Male Parent.—Proprietary breeding selection BFP-1476.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 6-9 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21-28 days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Crop time.—Approximately 5-7 weeks from a rooted cutting to            finished flowering plant.        -   Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous with good basal branching.            Pinching improves basal branching.        -   Form.—Mounding and trailing.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 20.4 cm. Width (area of spread): Approximately            73.2 cm.        -   Branch.—Quantity: Approximately 7 per plant. Shape: Square            in cross section. Length from soil level to base of            peduncle: Approximately 25.8 cm. Diameter: Approximately            2.4 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 145B. Length of            internode at middle of branch: Approximately 4.1 cm.        -   Foliage.—Type: Simple. Fragrance: None. Arrangement:            Opposite. Orientation to stem: Right angle. Shape: Ovate.            Margin: Lobed. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture of upper            surface: Densely covered with short stiff hairs. Texture of            lower surface: Glabrous except for dense pubescence along            veins. Leaf length: Approximately 4.1 cm. Leaf width:            Approximately 3.2 cm at widest point. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color of upper surface of mature foliage is darker            than 138A with venation of 145B. Color of lower surface of            mature foliage: 147B with venation of 145C. Petiole length:            Approximately 4.5 mm. Petiole diameter: Approximately            2.3 mm. Petiole texture: Densely pubescent along margin and            on lower surface. Color of upper surface: 145B. Color of            lower surface: 145C.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Balazreve’ is freely flowering under            outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous            blooming from spring until autumn and year round in            greenhouse environment.        -   Inflorescence.—Type: Corymb. Shape: Hemispherical. Quantity            per plant: Approximately 9. Height: Approximately 3.9 cm.            Width: Approximately 6.0 cm. Number of fully open flowers            per inflorescence at any one time: Approximately 20.        -   Peduncle.—Length: Approximately 6.5 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 1.6 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color:            Closest to 144A.        -   Lastingness of blooms.—Approximately 5-7 days.-   Flower description:    -   -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally, it takes 3-6 days for buds            to progress from first color to fully open flower. Shape:            Spherical to oval. Length: Approximately 3.9 mm. Diameter:            Approximately 3.5 mm. Color: 146A.        -   Flower.—Type: Single, salverform, sessile. Corolla shape:            Round. Corolla diameter: Approximately 2.3 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity: Five, slightly overlapping, fused at base            forming tube. Shape: Obovate. Aspect: Slightly cupped.            Appearance: Velvety. Margin: Entire. Apex: Emarginate.            Texture: Glabrous along margin and in center, pubescent at            base. Length: Approximately 1 cm. Width: Approximately 9 mm.            Color — Fully opened, upper surface: Between 45A and 46B.            Fully open, lower surface: 47B. Whiskers of 155C surround            the opening of the corolla tube.        -   Corolla tube.—Length: Approximately 2.0 cm. Diameter at            distil end: Approximately 2 mm. Diameter at proximal end:            Approximately 0.9 mm. Texture: Pubescent on both surfaces.            Color of both inner and outer surfaces: 4D.        -   Calyx.—Shape: Tubular, formed by 5 fused sepals, 5 toothed,            5 ribbed, with stipules. Length: Approximately 1.3 cm.            Diameter at apex: Approximately 3.1 mm. Diameter at base:            Approximately 1.8 mm. Texture of inner/upper surface:            Glabrous. Texture on outer/lower surface: Glandular            pubescent. Color of inner/upper- surface: 143D. Color of            outer/lower- surface: 143C. Stipule shape: Lanceolate.            Stipule apex: Acute. Stipule base: Truncate. Sepal margin:            Entire. Stipule length: 6 mm. Stipule texture: Long hairs,            some with glands on lower surface, short hairs on upper            surface. Stipule color: 146B at base and along mid-vein,            146A at tip and along margin. Gland color: Colorless and            transparent.        -   Reproductive Organs.—Stamen quantity: 4 per flower. Anther            shape: Bilobed, spade like. Anther length: Approximately            0.6 mm. Anther color: 1A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen            color: 150D. Pistil quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length:            2 cm. Stigma shape: Funnel. Stigma length: 1.1 mm. Stigma            color: 145A. Style length: Approximately 1.7 cm. Style            color: 145B. Ovary diameter: 1.8 mm. Ovary color: N144C.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pests and pathogens    common to Verbena has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Balazreve’,substantially as herein shown and described.